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CIA’s No. 2 tapped to be deputy national security adviser CIA’s No. 2 tapped to be deputy national security adviser
(35 minutes later)
Avril D. Haines will become deputy to national security adviser Susan E. Rice, returning to the White House just 18 months after she left to be CIA Director John O. Brennan’s second in command, administration officials said Thursday. Avril D. Haines will become deputy to National Security Adviser Susan E. Rice, returning to the White House just 18 months after she left to be CIA Director John O. Brennan’s second in command, administration officials said Thursday.
Haines will succeed Antony Blinken, confirmed by the Senate this week as deputy secretary of state.Haines will succeed Antony Blinken, confirmed by the Senate this week as deputy secretary of state.
The musical chairs among the administration’s senior national security aides comes as President Obama positions himself for his last two years in office, faced with an overflow of world crises and a Republican Congress determined to check his policy-making power. The musical chairs among the administration’s senior national security aides comes as President Obama positions himself for his last two years in office, faced with an overflow of world crises and a Republican-controlled Congress determined to check his policy-making power.
Rice praised Haines as “wicked smart” and someone who can “hit the ground running, because she’s been working all the core issues that are high on the agenda from her perch” at the CIA, as well as the previous three years as deputy White House legal counsel and counsel to the National Security Council.Rice praised Haines as “wicked smart” and someone who can “hit the ground running, because she’s been working all the core issues that are high on the agenda from her perch” at the CIA, as well as the previous three years as deputy White House legal counsel and counsel to the National Security Council.
“The third thing is she’s super-collegial,” Rice said in an interview. “She’s in­cred­ibly well-liked inside the NSC, across the agencies and across the government, because she’s a good listener, she’s a consensus builder, she’s a team player.”“The third thing is she’s super-collegial,” Rice said in an interview. “She’s in­cred­ibly well-liked inside the NSC, across the agencies and across the government, because she’s a good listener, she’s a consensus builder, she’s a team player.”
The latter are skills that some find lacking in Rice, whose long and close ties to Obama are matched by a reputation for brusqueness. At least three potential deputies reportedly let it be known that they would rather not be asked about the job. The latter are skills that some find lacking in Rice, whose long and close ties to Obama are matched by a reputation for brusqueness. At least three potential candidates reportedly let it be known that they would rather not be asked about the deputy job.
But a series of officials praised Haines as “everything you’d hope for,” in the words of Secretary of State John F. Kerry, who had initially tapped her as his State Department counsel before she was lured by Brennan to the CIA. “She’s fair, driven, thoughtful, unflappable, organized and brilliant.” A series of other officials praised Haines as “everything you’d hope for,” in the words of Secretary of State John F. Kerry, who had initially tapped her as his State Department counsel before she was lured by Brennan to the CIA. “She’s fair, driven, thoughtful, unflappable, organized and brilliant.”
The appointment of Haines, 45, puts women in the three top national security and foreign policy jobs at the White House, including Rice and chief counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco.The appointment of Haines, 45, puts women in the three top national security and foreign policy jobs at the White House, including Rice and chief counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco.
Rice and others described the deputy position as key to the smooth-running of the policy machinery on matters large and small, in crises and long-term projects. The deputy chairs meetings of seconds-in-command to cabinet secretaries and agency heads, held multiple times each week at the White House, which formulate and debate policy options to send to principals and the President. Rice and others described the deputy position as key to the smooth-running of the policy machinery on matters large and small, in crises and long-term projects. The deputy chairs meetings of seconds-in-command to Cabinet secretaries and agency heads, held multiple times each week at the White House, at which policy options are formulated and debated before being sent to principals and the president.
“It is literally that critical, decision-making level that enables the rest of the interagency process to operate, both above and below,” Rice said.“It is literally that critical, decision-making level that enables the rest of the interagency process to operate, both above and below,” Rice said.
At the CIA, Haines has been regarded as an insightful executive with strong ties to the White House and solid political instincts. But she had scant background in intelligence work, and was less involved than many of her predecessors in the day-to-day management of the agency and its operations. At the CIA, Haines has been regarded as an insightful executive with strong ties to the White House and solid political instincts. But she had scant background in intelligence work and was less involved than many of her predecessors in the day-to-day management of the agency and its operations.
That was in part, U.S. officials said, because of Brennan’s reluctance to delegate authority and to be more directly involved in operations and daily decisions than former CIA directors including Leon Panetta or Porter Goss. That was in part, U.S. officials said, because of Brennan’s reluctance to delegate authority and to be more directly involved in operations and daily decisions than former CIA directors, including Leon Panetta or Porter Goss.
There does not appear to be an obvious successor to Haines, who was first woman to serve as deputy director of the CIA. Leading candidates could include Glenn Gaffney, head of the agency’s science and technology directorate, and Michael Vickers, a former CIA officer now serving as the top intelligence official at the Pentagon. There does not appear to be an obvious successor at the CIA for Haines, who was first woman to serve as deputy director of the agency. Leading candidates could include Glenn Gaffney, head of the agency’s science and technology directorate, and Michael Vickers, a former CIA officer now serving as the top intelligence official at the Pentagon.
Other would-be candidates are likely to be passed over because of their association with controversial CIA operations including the interrogation program whose abuses were detailed in a report released last week by the Senate Intelligence Committee.Other would-be candidates are likely to be passed over because of their association with controversial CIA operations including the interrogation program whose abuses were detailed in a report released last week by the Senate Intelligence Committee.
In the mid-1990s, between graduation from the University of Chicago and from Georgetown University Law Center, Haines was co-owner of an independent bookstore and cafe in Baltimore. She also served as counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when it was chaired by then-Sen. Biden. In the mid-1990s, between graduation from the University of Chicago and from Georgetown University Law Center, Haines was co-owner of an independent bookstore and cafe in Baltimore. She also served as counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when it was chaired by then-Sen. Joe Biden.